IFAN: Amazing AI-Driven Transformation of Maritime Invoicing

Sector

Not-For-Profit-Maritime

Location

London, United Kingdom

Revenues

–

About

The International Foundation for Aids to Navigation’s (IFAN) is a company and charity headquartered in London, United Kingdom, whose overall objective is the promotion of safety at sea and the protection of the marine environment. IFAN achieves this by contributing to the efforts of several other maritime organisations, through funding of global Aids to Navigation projects and supporting education initiatives.

Outcome



Significant time savings: ~120+ hours per month freed from repetitive checking.



Staff workload reduced to validation/oversight rather than manual processing.



Faster, more accurate billing reduces disputes, refunds, and administrative overhead.



Ensures IFAN can continue directing collected tariffs to charity, education, and maritime safety projects without operational bottlenecks.



Scalable model for G’s Fresh to handle growing supplier volumes across Spain, UK, and other European markets.



Enviromental impact – by streamlining process, vessels no longer have to dock for long periods, reducing the risk of oil-spillage and damage to marine life

Executive Summary

The International Foundation for Aids to Navigation (IFAN) manages MENAS Light Dues, a billing system for collecting tariffs from vessels transiting the Middle East Gulf. Developed by TTG, MENAS Light Dues has already been recognised as an award-winning platform, replacing outdated manual practices with a modern, reliable and transparent billing process. By automating core invoicing functions, it ensures tariffs are collected efficiently and reinvested directly into maritime safety, education, training and charitable initiatives.

Building on this success, TTG is now working with IFAN to enhance MENAS Light Dues through artificial intelligence (AI). The integration, currently in development, will streamline sanction validation, reduce repetitive manual checks, and introduce proactive automation to further strengthen accuracy and compliance. Once implemented, these enhancements are expected to reduce administrative workload and accelerate billing cycles.

The Challange

Automating Sanction Checks: Enhancing MENAS Light Dues with AI-Driven Compliance

Although MENAS Light Dues has already transformed how IFAN manages vessel billing, the process remains resource-intensive in some areas. A key complexity lies in validating whether vessels are subject to sanctions. Sanctioned vessels are exempt from charges, yet sanction information is spread across legacy external systems that update on different schedules. As a result, IFAN’s small UK-based team still dedicates significant time to checking invoices against sanction data.

With only a small administrative team, there is little room for error or delay. During busy periods, or when resources are stretched, this dependency risks creating bottlenecks. TTG and IFAN recognised that by integrating AI into MENAS Light Dues, these checks could be streamlined without sacrificing compliance or oversight, further strengthening an already successful system.

The Solution

AI at the Core: Automating Sanction Checks to Strengthen the MENAS Light Dues Workflow

TTG is developing an AI-driven enhancement to MENAS Light Dues that will act as an intelligent assistant within the billing process. The AI will automatically validate invoices against up-to-date sanction data drawn from government and international sources. Instead of staff manually checking every invoice, the AI agent will pre-screen billing records, flag potential issues, and recommend corrective actions before invoices are finalised.

This design retains human oversight while eliminating the need for repetitive daily checks. Staff will be able to focus on exception handling and approvals, leaving the AI to manage the bulk of validation tasks in the background. The system is being built with scalability and adaptability in mind, capable of incorporating new sanction data sources as regulatory frameworks evolve. By embedding AI into the billing workflow, TTG is enhancing MENAS Light Dues to be not just accurate and reliable, but also intelligent, resilient and future-proof.

The Success

Driving Impact at Scale: Measurable Operational and Environmental Gains Through AI

The AI enhancement is expected to deliver measurable benefits once deployed. Repetitive sanction checks will be dramatically reduced, freeing an estimated 120+ staff hours each month for higher-value activities. This will ease the pressure on IFAN’s administrative team and ensure resilience even during periods of reduced staffing.

Accuracy and compliance will also be strengthened. By intercepting invalid invoices before they are issued, the system is expected to reduce billing disputes and administrative overhead. Agents and stakeholders will benefit from faster, more reliable invoicing, enhancing confidence in the billing process.

There are also indirect environmental advantages. By accelerating billing cycles and reducing the time vessels wait in port for validation, emissions and fuel waste will be lowered, along with risks of oil spillage. These improvements contribute to IFAN’s broader sustainability commitments and were part of the reason MENAS Light Dues has already been recognised in industry awards.

Ultimately, enhancing MENAS Light Dues with AI will ensure IFAN can continue to collect and reinvest tariffs into maritime safety and charitable projects without interruption. It strengthens the billing system’s position as not only a cornerstone of IFAN’s operations but also a leading example of how AI can extend the capabilities of an award-winning digital platform.